SkekSo
SkekSo was the first and penultimate Skeksis Emperor, and counterpart to urSu the Master. Ruling Thra for over a thousand trine, he was the principal architect of the Alliance of the Crystal, the formal segregation of the Gelfling Clans and their ultimate destruction during the Garthim War. Personality In his youth, skekSo was a masterful schemer and opportunist who preferred to charm the Gelfling into submitting to him rather than crush them militarily. He was also skilled at averting any threats to his rule by promoting his rivals, only to withdraw his favor just to enjoy the sight of their fall. He applied these divisive tactics also on his Gelfling subjects, setting the clans against each other in order to prevent them from uniting and imperiling his rule. Nevertheless, when questioned openly, he was capable of displaying enough physical brutality to intimidate even the bravest challenger. As he aged, he became increasingly conscious of his own mortality and began to tire of elaborate schemes in favor of direct action. Considering his life as SoSu to have been a nightmare, he became obsessed with clinging onto life to the very end, to the point of experimenting on the Darkening, despite knowing it corroded his body and health. When pushed to extreme anger, he would go into paroxysms of rage which caused him to audibly wheeze and hyperventilate. He was, however, still able to coordinate the other Skeksis into a somewhat stable community by keeping them busy in their respected roles. He ruled through fear by both verbally and physically abusing the Skeksis that displeased him, though he would at times give rallying speeches reminding his comrades of their superiority in order to motivate them further into doing his bidding. Biography Rise to power ]] Shortly after the Great Division, the Makraks emerged from their devastated underground home and began raiding Podling and Gelfling villages. SkekSo, hoping to win the loyalty of the panicked Gelflings, sent his ambassador, skekVar, to offer his protection. During the discussions, skekSo proclaimed himself Emperor and savagely beat skekShod for openly ridiculing him in court. After the Gelfling elder, Carn, arrived at the castle to swear fealty to the Skeksis, skekSo proclaimed the formation of the Alliance of the Crystal, reassuring his followers in private that his ultimate intentions were to enslave the races of Thra through offering them security. When the Makrak crisis was inadvertently resolved peacefully by the urRu, skekSo did not see the event as a failure, as the Gelfling had already provided the Skeksis with plentiful weapons and allowed them a seat on their council.B. Froud, M. Dow Smith, A. Sheikman & L. John (2015). The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. III. Archaia. . Later reign .]] SkekSo's reign was initially a benevolent one, inviting Gelflings into the Castle of the Crystal to serve as his Castle Guard, and holding tournaments, which he invariably won.Froud, B. & Llewellyn, J. J., (2003) The World of the Dark Crystal. Pavilion Books. His character eventually changed as he became increasingly conscious of his own mortality and proceeded to secretly learn to harness the Darkening for his own use, causing his body to age faster than those of the other Skeksis. ]] A thousand years into his rule, skekTek the Scientist discovered a method of using the Dark Crystal to extract the essence from Gelflings, using it on Mira as he and his court partook in her essence to rejuvenate themselves."End. Begin. All the Same." The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 While skekSil assured him that the Gelflings would remain in ignorance despite Rian witnessing Mira's death, skekSo replaced him with skekVar as his counsel"The First Thing I Remember Is Fire" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 while deciding to label Rian a diseased fugitive who must not be dreamfasted with."Nothing Is Simple Anymore" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 However, when skekVar murdered All-Maudra Mayrin"She Knows All the Secrets" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019 when she learned the truth, skekSo saw it as justification to cease relations with the Gelfling, attempting to enter into an alliance with the Arathim. When that failed, skekSo commissioned skekTek to create the Garthim when they were greatly outnumbered by the united Gelfling Clans, beginning the Garthim War. When skekSo learned of the prophecy that foretold that a Gelfling would end the Skeksis' rule, he ordered their complete extermination. Death In the aftermath of the Garthim War, having decreed Gelfling essence reserved for himself, skekSo's health nonetheless began to rapidly deteriorate with no more Gelflings left. In desperation, he sought to prolong his life with elixirs and enchantments, but to no avail. His fate was sealed when, in his weakened state, he failed to attend a Ceremony of the Sun which would have given him enough power to live up to the Great Conjunction, which would have granted him a further nine hundred and ninety-nine and one trine of life. He died surrounded by his followers, all eagerly awaiting his death as he clung to his scepter.Smith, A. C. H., & Odell, D. (1982). The Dark Crystal. Holt, Rinehart and Winston . His remains were gathered by skekOk the Scroll-Keeper then wound into cerements and placed into a black casket. The three highest-ranking Skeksis, skekSil, skekZok and skekUng, carried the casket to the mausoleum, with the other Skeksis following in single file. The three had previously argued over who should take the foremost corner of the casket, and managed to come to a compromise which all knew would not outlast the funeral. The casket was placed onto a catafalque, and its contents were cremated. Other appearances During the Garthim War depicted in Legends of the Dark Crystal, skekSo elevated skekLach the Collector to the position of court favourite, in light of his successful Gelfling acquisition strategies, not knowing that the Collector intended to eventually depose him. SkekLach began to secretly withhold the Emperor's Gelfling essence, and blamed the shortage on his rival, skekVar the General, whom skekSo ordered to cooperate with the Collector completely. SkekSo's favouritism of skekLach caused skekSil the Chamberlain, a former court favourite, to plot against skekLach. The Chamberlain discovered skekLach's secret, and openly accused him in front of the Emperor during the Battle of Bah-Lem Valley, and challenged the Collector to Trial by Fire. SkekSo presided over the Trial, which the Collector won. Despite skekSil's protests, skekSo refused to listen to his accusations, and ordered him to keep quiet or face the consequences.Kessel, B. R. & Arnhold, H. (2010) Legends of the Dark Crystal Volume 2: Trial by Fire. TokyoPop. Behind the scenes Jason Isaacs, who voiced skekSo in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, described his introduction and approach to the character in the following terms: When asked by Collider how the character views himself, Isaacs responded: Gallery SkekSoThrone.png|Emperor SkekSo, atop his throne SkekSoDarkeningCost.png|SkekSo revealing secretly to SkekVar, that the Darkening is injuring him. SkekSo Instagram.jpg SkekSo UrSu.jpg|SkekSo with his urRu counterpart, urSu the Master SkekSo with skekSil & skekZok in armor.jpg|SkekSo (center) with skekSil (left) and skekZok (right) Skeksis attack.jpg|SkekLach, skekSo, skekEkt, and skekZok Skeksis gathered.jpg|SkekOk, skekAyuk, skekTek, skekLach, and skekSo skekSo & skekTek.jpg|SkekSo and skekTek skekSo draws his sword.jpg skekSo, skekTek, skekSil, & skekOk.jpg|SkekSo, skekTek, skekSil, & skekOk References External Links * * Category:Characters Category:The Dark Crystal characters Category:Legends of the Dark Crystal characters Category:Males Category:Deceased Category:Leaders Category:Villains Category:The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance characters Category:The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths characters